


King, Country, Duty

by orphan_account



Series: Fill the Void [11]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:21:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23296933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: What Jeremy would give to spend a day of his life off with Gavin on some grand adventure. Free from royal duties, from expectations. Free to explore all this grand world had to offer with the man he loved more than anything.
Relationships: Jeremy Dooley/Gavin Free
Series: Fill the Void [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663750
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	King, Country, Duty

At a young age, Jeremy was overwhelmed by all the things he’d have to remember and uphold. As the prince, he had to uphold the monarchy’s values and ideas. One day, he would be sitting on that throne, with that crown, accepting all the pomp and circumstance that came with the role.

He just wished he knew the reason why there were forks for every different type of food and every different course and why that was an important standard to maintain. Why couldn’t he just use the same fork as before? Why did it need to be a whole thing?

“Because that’s the way things are,” he was told. “It was tradition and we do not meddle with tradition.”

He did not buy into the notion that a monarchy of many centuries would be torn asunder by the simply action of using dinner fork interchangeably with his salad fork.

He remembered the pointed dowel fixed to the back of his chair when he was far younger. Taught him to sit up straight and not slouch. Then the ruler against the back of his hands by his tutor whenever he reached for the wrong utensil during his lessons.

He was older now, less likely to mistaken something accidentally. Purposefully, however, was a different story. The life and duties of a crown prince often bored him in ways he did not approve of. There were balls and regalia he had to attend. Princesses and ladies to dance with and speak with as was required for him. There was not a large need yet for him to marry. His father the king was still quite healthy in his reign, but the day would come when he would marry.

_For king and country._

But not yet. Not today.

When he was dressed down at night and left to sleep in his bedroom, he’d wait for the knock at the window and pretend for a moment that he wasn’t some untouchable noble.

The knock drew his attention and he jumped out of bed to open the latch and let his visitor in.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming,” he said.

“What? And miss out on seeing you?” Gavin slipped in through the open window lightly. He was dressed down from his usual attire into dark and flexible clothing, allowing him to creep along the precipices of the castle walls until he came to Jeremy’s bedroom. It was a familiar event that he always looked forward to. They didn’t often have time to see each other in private like this—not to mention how scandalous it really was—but Jeremy enjoyed the respite Gavin brought with him.

He was the son of a lord in the kingdom. He was a member of the court and was known for his travel and exploits upon the continent and certainly across the globe. He’d bring marvels and stories back with him and was certainly known as an entertainer within the court despite his status. Coming in with his bag full of tricks, as the people of the court would say.

Jeremy brought Gavin to flop back on the bed along with him. It’d been weeks since Jeremy had last seen Gavin and he was looking forward to spending more time with him.

“So where have you been off to now?” he asked, only slightly jealous of Gavin’s freedom to travel where he like.

“Here and there,” Gavin said. “Nothing too interesting this time around.” He walked his fingers up along Jeremy’s arm.

“Now, that’s not the Gavin I know,” he said. “Come on. What did you see?” He liked to live vicariously through Gavin. Journeys through the countryside, stays at local inns on a whimsy. Gavin might have a reputation for mingling with the other classes, but he was adored for it. Jeremy didn’t have that luxury.

“All right then,” he said, turning on his side a bit and tucking an arm under his head. Jeremy turned into him. “I came across a peculiar fellow who dressed in bearskins, up in the snowy regions of Scandinavia who went by the name of Mogar.”

It was Gavin’s ways with words that he fell in love with. From the moment they were first introduced to each other as children, Jeremy knew they’d be fast friends. Friends they were and more they would become. Stealing kisses as boys do because they were curious as young lads. Hiding each other notes in their shoes before they had to part, only to give up those childish dreams as they were older, spending less time together now that they were expected to uphold the honour and duties of their respective households.

It was with Gavin during these nights when he could steal away to visit that Jeremy admitted, “I wish I could just go out into the city. Even for one night. Just to have a moment to myself. With the people in the pubs and all that. Stroll around in the garden without needing a guard or some nonsense like that.”

And Gavin, loving Gavin who would steal some hours with Jeremy in his bed, came up with an eloquent solution. “I once did this with a servant boy back in the country,” he said. “Paid him a few pounds to lend me a uniform of his. I feigned illness, had the servant rest up in my bed while I was out and about in the farms, the town. I could find you something. A proper suit to wear into the city so none would be the wiser.”

Jeremy sat up a bit. At the notion of getting to leave the palace only for a night, he became excited. “Would you?”

“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I, love? Even dignified princes need to have their fun and mingle with the lower classes from time to time. I think it gives one a good sense of perspective when they head out like that. And who needs more of that perspective than the prince himself?”

They set it all up together and managed to cobble together an excuse for why Jeremy needed a day in bed. A sudden spell of a cough and fever, easily conjured up by vigorous activity before he was to be awoken by his valet. The suit was of simple material that would allow him to pass as one of the folk in the city.

“And I’ll hide as you under your covers,” Gavin said. “Your valet’s a good chap. He shouldn’t be all that hard to convince to keep his lips sealed.”

“I wish you could go with me,” Jeremy said. “You’d give the best tour out of all of them.”

“One day,” Gavin assured him. “When there are more players on the table.”

He saw Jeremy off at the servants’ staircase early in the morning. There Jeremy would take the steps down and slip out the back door for a day of traipsing around the city he would one day rule along with the country.

But just before he set foot down, he turned and pulled Gavin to him. He kissed him deeply before parting.

“Off you go,” Gavin said. “I’ll see you tonight at dinner then.”

There wouldn’t be too many days left when they could do this. When they could kiss and it wouldn’t matter, but Jeremy put those thoughts out of his mind for now and simply enjoyed what he could do.


End file.
